


Looking Past

by VoiceoftheTraveler



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Gen, Pre-Game: Destiny 2: Forsaken DLC, Tangled Shore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 05:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30000159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoiceoftheTraveler/pseuds/VoiceoftheTraveler
Summary: After the disappearance of Titan, Io, Mars, and Mercury, Marinochka helps Osiris study the strange Hive activity in the system. When he sends her to the Tangled Shore at the request of the Spider she is faced with an unexpected challenge.
Kudos: 2





	Looking Past

“Incoming transmission from Osiris.”

“Put him through Moonbeam. Osiris, how did your expedition go?”

“I need you to go to the Shore, more of these Cryptoliths are appearing there. The Spider demands my presence-”

“But you’ve got more pressing matters so you want me to go in your stead?”

“Yes. I trust you to be able to handle yourself and retain any possible helpful information,” he finished.

“I’m flattered. When is he expecting me?”

“He’s expecting me as soon as possible, I’m sure that won’t be an issue.” 

“What Osiris is trying to say, is thank you,” Sagira’s voice stated, an annoyed affection in her tone.

Marinochka laughed, Osiris’ grumbling filling the line, “You’re welcome.” She sobered, “Be careful Osiris, please?”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Sagira declared. “Good luck with Spider, Mari.”

“To the Tangled Shore then?”

“Yes.”

Upon arriving at The Shore, she quickly made her way to The Spider’s Lair, ignoring the guards as they raised their arc blades. The Spider hummed, shifting slightly in his seat, “Hmmm, was Osiris too busy to come here himself?”

“Da, he sent me instead.”

Spider examined her, his eyes gleaming, “Hmm, a Hunter, interesting choice. But I like your style,” he chuckled, and took a breath through his rebreather, “Shoot first, ask questions later. I want whatever those are off my shore...they’re bad for business.”

“Of course. I don’t suppose you know how to get rid of them,” she answered, placing and hand on her hip.

“My...hmmm, associate can help you with that. Ha, my little bird, he’s been handling this Hive curse since they started infesting my shore...he’s done well...but he’s new,” a breath through his rebreather, then with laughter, “Fresh from the grave if you will.”

“A Guardian?” Moonbeam questioned, voice accusatory.

“No, little morsel, a Lightbearer, not a Guardian. He and I have an understanding…”

“Where is he? I would like to get started quickly,” Marinochka asked, ignoring the indignation radiating from her ghost.

“He’s using a Youngblood,” her ghost growled through their bond.

“And what would you have me do?” She hissed back.

Her ghost huffed.

“Down that hall. Oh, and Guardian,” he paused, his voice sickeningly thick with amusement, “Remember no firing in my lair.” 

She raised an eyebrow, she got nothing but horse laughter in return. “Ublyudok…” she mumbled under her breath. She heard footsteps and hushed voices as she made her way down the small hallway. One was that of a ghost but the other was too hushed for her to make out. Her mind kept wandering back to Spider’s parting words. Her mind scrambling for some reasoning behind them.

“Oh! Hello!” A slightly startled yet chipper voice called out.

“Hello! My Risen and I are here to help with the Cryptoliths,” her ghost spoke, voice just as chipper. 

The other ghost’s shell spun excitedly, its eye glowing brighter, “My name is Glint. It’s very nice to meet you.” Glint turned towards his Guardian, swaying in the air encouragingly. “C’mon, they’re here to help. We should know each other’s names if we are going to be working together.”

The younger Guardian was silent, every inch of his skin covered by his clothing. His body language screamed anxiety and fear. She felt Moonbeam eyeing her, silently demanding she break the ice. With a sigh, she spoke, “My name is Marinochka.”

The younger’s head moved under his hood, but he remained silent. “Go on…” his ghost encouraged gently.

“My name is Crow…”

She stiffened, her mind almost immediately placing a face to the voice. “Uldren Sov,” she growled through her link.

_ “That’s impossible, the Young Wolf-” _

_ “He’s one of us. The Traveler chose. Uldren. Sov.” _

_ “Mari-” _

_ “Is it really that desperate-” _

_ “Marinochka, stop it, you’re scaring them!” Her ghost yelled, panic in her voice.  _

_ “I’m not going to shoot him.” _

_ “It looks like you’re going to do worse than shoot him.” _

_ “He doesn’t remember.” _

_ “No.” _

_ “I can’t be mad at him.” _

_ “No, you can’t.” _

_ “But I want to be.” _

_ “Mari-” _

_ “Uldren Sov murdered Cayde. And here stands a new man with the same face.” _

_ “Marinochka, don’t-” _

She took a step further into the room, and closed the link. Even if she weren’t a Hunter she was sure she would still be able to sense the tension in the room, when she spoke, her voice was measured, “Spider says you’re the expert on the Cryptoliths. Get me up to speed, Crow.” 

“How much do you already know?” He asked, his voice shaking along with his hands.

She took note of his cornered animal demeanor. “I know they are of the Hive, they seem to place creatures under a spell, driving them mad and making them annoyingly hard to kill.” 

He nodded, “I call them Wrathborn. I was able to create something to draw them out. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done.”

“Getting the job done is all you can ask for. How does your invention work?”

Marinochka followed him to his work table, a strange cylinder object resting between them. She saw him relax slightly as he began to explain to her what each part was and what it did. She couldn’t help the amused smile that grew under her cowl as he droned on, his voice and posture relaxing the longer he went on. “It’s quite impressive,” her ghost marveled mostly to herself. Marinochka listened intently. She honestly only understood the basics, the more intricate matters mostly went over her head.

“The Lure isn’t charged, I meant to go charge it sooner...but Spider kept me busy,” he mumbled the last part.

“We could charge it for you,” Moonbeam offered, her shell spinning excitedly.

“I don’t want to trouble you, Guardian,” he began, voice anxious again, losing all form of calm it had a moment before.

Marinochka shook her head, “We are here to help you. You said it would take a few days to charge?” He nodded. “Then we will meet again in a few days, yes?” She extended her hands, waiting for him to give her the Lure. He handed it to her without a word, his orange eyes uncertain under his hood. She took it with care before turning to leave. Stopping near the exit when Moonbeam stopped to quickly speak to Glint.

She walked out of Spider’s lair, ignoring his light chuckling as she walked by. Quickly transmatting to her ship, she set the Lure down on the small pull out bed before sinking to the ground, her back against the cold wall. She lowered her cowl and removed her hood, rubbing at her eyes. The ship was silent. Moonbeam floated cautiously nearby, eyeing her Guardian with growing sympathy. When she spoke it was quiet, “I miss them too.”

“He’s not Uldren Sov,” she whispered from behind her hands. Her ghost remained silent. “The Young Wolf made him pay. Why? Why would the Traveler choose him or all the dead in this solar system?” She lifted her head to look at her ghost, “Why bring back Uldren Sov…?”

Her ghost floated over to her, resting gently on her shoulder, making herself comfortable in the space. The ship was silent.


End file.
